Apple Inc. said Thursday that it will commit $100 million to a “Racial Equity and Justice Initiative,” while at the same time other tech behemoths said they would do their bit to embrace racial equality.

Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said the money will be focused on education, economic equality and criminal justice reform and “challenge the systemic barriers to opportunity and dignity that exist for communities of color, and particularly for the black community.”

“The unfinished work of racial justice and equality call us all to account,” said Cook. “Things must change, and Apple’s committed to being a force for that change. Today, I’m proud to announce Apple’s Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, with a $100 million commitment.”

Google LLC-owned YouTube said it would set aside $100 million “dedicated to amplifying and developing the voices of Black creators and artists and their stories.” The company said it believes that Black Lives Matter and it’s time to end systemic racism.

YouTube will start hosting events through YouTube Originals that will involve creators, artists, influential public figures and prominent activist voices. There will performances as well as discussions, and donations can be made to the Equal Justice Initiative.

YouTube’s “Spotlight” channel will focus on racial justice issues in June, and will focus on voices from the black community. This will include coverage of the protests, educational content relating to black history and perspectives on racism from individuals.

The company also added that it will step up in its fight against hate speech and harassment, whether it relates to race, sex or religion. The company said that last year it took down 100,000 videos and 100 million comments for violating its hate and harassment policies, adding that there’s still much more work to do.

“Building on our work over the past several years, we’re taking this moment to examine how our policies and products are working for everyone ⁠— but specifically for the Black community ⁠— and close any gaps,” YouTube wrote in a blog post. “And more broadly, we will work to ensure Black users, artists, and creators can share their stories and be protected from hateful, white supremacist, and bullying content.”

Lastly, PayPal Inc. said it will invest $530 million through PayPal Ventures, with $500 million going toward minority businesses and startups. A further $15 million will be used to foster diversity in the company, and another $15 million will go to emergency grants for black-owned U.S. businesses that have been crippled by the coronavirus lockdown.

“For far too long, Black people in America have faced deep-seated injustice and systemic economic inequality. Black lives matter and we need to drive transformative change,” PayPal Chief Executive Dan Schulman said in a statement.

Photo: David Geitgey Sierralupe/Flickr